Traffic congestion facts for kids
Traffic congestion happens when too many vehicles are on the road at once. This makes cars, buses, and trucks move very slowly. It's also called a traffic jam.
When there's a traffic jam, your trip takes much longer. It also means more cars are waiting in line. Traffic jams can happen if there are fewer lanes open, like during road work or after an accident. Roads that aren't designed well can also cause jams. Sometimes, lots of cars leaving a big event, like a sports game, can also create congestion.
How to Solve Traffic Jams
In big cities, where traffic jams happen often, especially when people are commuting (traveling to and from work), different ways are used to help.
- Banning Cars: Sometimes, cars are not allowed in certain areas or at certain times.
- Carrying Passengers: Drivers might be encouraged to share rides or carry more people.
- Paying a Fee: People might have to pay money to drive on certain roads during busy times.
- Public Transport: Many people use public transport like buses or rapid transit (trains or subways). These often have their own lanes or tracks, so they are not stuck in car traffic.
Images for kids
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Heavy traffic jam in Garden Ring, Moscow
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This percentage split shows the main causes of traffic congestion. The most common cause is bottlenecking (encircled).
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Congestion on a street in Taipei consisting primarily of motorcycles
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India's economic growth has resulted in a massive increase in the number of private vehicles on its roads overwhelming the transport infrastructure. Shown here is a traffic jam in Delhi.
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Rapid economic growth in China has resulted in a massive increase in the number of private vehicles in its major cities. Shown here is a traffic jam in downtown Haikou, Hainan Province, China.
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The houses in this street in Royal Tunbridge Wells was built when car ownership was exceptional and so there was no provision for garages or even off-street parking. As such, the streets are full of parked cars (on-street parking) and form an artificial choke point, increasing the likelihood of traffic congestion.
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Metered ramp on I-894 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. The queue of cars waiting at the red light can be seen on the upper portion of the picture.
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The HOV lanes in Highway 404 in Southern Ontario are separated by a stripped buffer zone that breaks occasionally to allow vehicles to enter and exit the HOV lane.
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Widening works under way on the M25 motorway surrounding London, England to increase the number of lanes
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Bike lane constructed in areas of low space to encourage use of human-sized transportation
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Traffic congestion detector in Germany
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Different modes of transport require different amounts of road space
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Traffic jam in Warringah Freeway
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Traffic jam in Dhaka
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Typical traffic jam in São Paulo downtown, despite road space rationing by plate number. Rua da Consolação, São Paulo, Brazil
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Highway 401 in Ontario, which passes through Toronto, suffers chronic traffic congestion despite its width of up to 18 lanes.
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Traffic jam in Beijing
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Traffic congestion in Haikou
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Traffic jam in New Delhi
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Traffic congestion in Bandung, West Java
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Busy traffic in Auckland
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Traffic congestion on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA)
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Traffic congestion in Istanbul
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Congestion on A64 road which heading towards to York
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A solution to traffic congestion using Northern Ireland Railways from Moira to Belfast Great Victoria Street
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On Fridays in California, Interstate 5 is often congested as Los Angeles residents travel north for the weekend.
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Congestion during lunch hour on U.S. Route 11E in Morristown, Tennessee
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See also
In Spanish: Congestión vehicular para niños
